Vaccine Schedule for Babies and Toddlers: A Cheat Sheet for Parents

Your baby will get up to 31 vaccinations by age 4, but it can be tough to track of all those shots. That's why the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) created a vaccine schedule to make sure your child is receiving vaccines on time and in a safe manner.

• RELATED: 8 Reasons Parents Don't Vaccinate (And Why They Should)

Take a look at the recommended vaccine schedule below, then print our version of the CDC vaccine chart.

Vaccines at Birth

• Hepatits B (dose 1)

1-2 Months

• Hepatits B (dose 2)

2 Months

• Rotavirus (dose 1)


• Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis / DTaP (dose 1)


• Haemophilus influenzae type B / Hib (dose 1)


• Pneumococcal conjugate (dose 1)


• Inactivated poliovirus (dose 1)

4 Months

• Rotavirus (dose 2)


• DTaP (dose 2)


• Hib (dose 2)


• Pneumococcal conjugate (dose 2)


• Inactivated poliovirus (dose 2)

6 Months

• Rotavirus (dose 3)


• DTaP (dose 3)


• Hib (dose 3)


• Pneumococcal conjugate (dose 3)


• Begin annual influenza vaccination

RELATED: 7 Newborn Vaccines Your Baby Needs

6 - 18 Months

• Hepatits B (dose 3)


• Inactivated poliovirus (dose 3)

12-15 Months

• Hib (dose 4)


• Pneumococcal conjugate (dose 4)


• Measles, mumps, rubella / MMR (dose 1)


• Varicella/ chicken pox (dose 1)

12-18 Months

• Hepatitis A (2 doses)

RELATED: The Measles Outbreak: 8 Facts You Need to Know

15-18 Months

• DTaP (dose 4)

4-6 Years

• Annual influenza vaccination


• DTap (dose 5)


• Inactivated poliovirus (dose 4)


• MMR (dose 2)


• Varicella/ chicken pox (dose 2)

11-12 Years

• Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (Tdap)


• Meningococcal (dose 1)


• HPV (3 doses)


• Annual influenza vaccination

16 Years

• Meningococcal (dose 2)


• Annual influenza vaccination

What happens if my child misses a vaccine?

If your child's vaccination schedule gets sidetracked, don't worry. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has a special "catch-up" schedule for missed doses, so your child shouldn't have to start over. But remember that even though it's possible for most children to make up missed vaccines, postponing your child's shots is still risky. Each month your baby goes without being vaccinated means she's not fully protected from serious, but very preventable, diseases.

• RELATED: 'I'm a Doctor and a Parent': Here's How Vaccines Work